You may have been following the "Gaming Made Me" column on Rock, Paper, Shotgun or read the article at The Quixotic Gamer. They vary in style but in the simplest terms they are lists of games that have influenced the writer. Not your top five favorite video games, that'd be this.

• Super Smash Bros: Melee
• Sly Cooper
• Jak 3
• Aladdin
• James Bond 007: Nightfire

Or a list of games I've sunk the most amount of time in, that'd be this.

For those that don't know Objectivism is a philosophy created by famous author Ayn Rand used in such books as Atlus Shrugged and The Fountainhead.  For more information please read the aforementioned books.  Objectivism means that if your not Clark Kent or Barack Obama and then you can get the fuck out!  It's a philosophy that suggests the weak must not die by natural selection but must be killed by the strong and powerful.  Needless to say it's fucking stupid. 

Before I begin let me explain my opening moniker.  I plan on starting a new weekly short segment, in which I rant on one particular topic.  I will call this series "Reed Brown On: (Insert Topic Here)" because my name is Reed Brown and I will be discussing that topic.  Aren't I clever?  Well let's get to the topic at hand.

I was talking to a friend of mine a couple of years ago when he introduced the phrase "Buyer's Remorse" to me.  He explained that it basically meant that you oversell something because you bought it.  Like a fanboy strutting around boasting about his superior console when in reality he defends it because he wasted $300 on it.  It's a scenario that affects all, and on a recent Rebel FM they discussed what I call "Reverse Remorse".  It's a syndrome where the buyer is more critical BECAUSE they purchased the product.  If I went out and bought Rhythm Heaven as opposed to getting it from Gamefly, I would of critiqued it even MORE harshly.  I don't know how that's possible but that's beside the point.  Now my theory is that all people suffer from one of the diseases aforementioned.  The real question is, which are you?

I recently went back to play Shadow of the Colossus for unexplained reasons.  As I was playing I was txting a lady friend of mine and I told her I was playing.  In all of her ignorance she asked what that was and I said it was a playformer and easily in my top 5 games of all time.  She then asked what the other 4 were.  Off the top of my head I responded...

"Linger in Shadows? What in Odin's name is that?" you might be asking yourself as I did while browsing the PSN. I went looking for Trash Panic and found something much more special. What is Linger in Shadows? The much anticipated sequel to "Dances with Wolves?" sadly no. What it ends up being is probably one of the most underrated games ever. People bitch and moan about games like Ico but let's face the facts Shadow of the Colossus and Psychonauts are OVERRATED. Sure they didn't sell or necessarily review well but people have been and will be gushing over them forever. Linger in Shadows probably didn't sell well and to my knowledge no one knows about it. It advertises itself as "Interactive Art" and that about hits the nail on the head. I don't want to go into details to ruin the amazing experience but it's basically a really trippy animated HD short. It's beautiful and it's got pandas, droopy dogs, and kitty cats. It doesn't get much better. Now go buy the game because it's only 2.99! After you've played it please continue reading.

Before I begin please say that title in the most raspy voice you can muster. Okay now to the article. I just finished listening to the latest Out of the Game Podcast and they discussed a sequel to the Dark Knight. This got me thinking about what Nolan has said about his interests in a sequel and what he wanted. It also got me thinking as to what a sequel could be. Now before I begin I would like you to know, if you didn't, that Christopher Nolan said he was very interested in creating a Batman film with a villain we had never seen. This is why he took an obscure character like Raj Al Ghul as the main rogue in Batman Begins. So I would like to present a pitch for a film that could follow the Dark Knight. This screenplay would have to use the Joker in it which would be impossible after Ledger's performance, but I digress.

This movie would follow a couple of months after the Dark Knight, and would feature three, count 'em, three villains. The villains I would want would be The Joker with a brief role, The Riddler, and Scarface/The Ventriloquist. This film takes place in a world where the Falcone/Maroni crime family is in shambles. Scarface/The Ventriloquist has taken over and is attempting to rebuild the family from the ground up. Meanwhile The Joker is in Arkham Asylum heavily sedated. The Riddler shows up on the scene and starts performing all kinds of chaos (I'd like to see Michael Emerson handle the role). Also Batman has taken under his wing Robin. After a lot of struggle (As you can see I didn't think this through to far) Scarface is destroyed and the Ventriloquist is put in Arkham. The Riddler has taken a prominent spot in the media and the Joker needless to say is PISSED. He thinks the Riddler is stealing his act and breaks out. The Joker brutally murders the Riddler, and kidnaps Robin. After a long ordeal Robin is murdered, i.e. A Death in the Family, and Batman is on the verge of killing the Joker. He stops himself and captures him again putting him in a more secure cell at Arkham. This is by no means the BEST idea for a sequel but it's my idea and I hope you enjoy it. That is all.
-Reed Brown

Editor's Note: Despite Reed poking fun at the fact that he's doing a list, he's covering a pretty interesting topic that demands more feedback. Also: probably the only time you'll see Pocahontas' Colors of the Wind referenced on this site. -Greg

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Hey, you guys love lists, right? I love lists, too! This is a list of games that aren't simply revolutionary like Wolfenstein 3D or Super Mario Bros., but games that really showed that they can be considered art while using the medium they're on to its highest potential.

1. Shadow of the Colossus

This game has improved the medium for two main reasons: 1) its minimalistic storytelling that was not spoon-fed to you, and 2) its beautiful graphics for the time. SOTC's storytelling has been mirrored in games like Braid, where you actually have to think, and I like that. The graphics, on the other hand, blew my mind. The fact that when you climb a colossi you actually feel like you're holding onto its hair/moss is remarkable. This game is an obvious contender for "Games as Art" because of its stunning visuals.